Not My Sammy
by morgana07
Summary: After the events being turned into a vampire & recalling what he'd seen, Dean finally breaks it down to realize what's wrong with Sam & doesn't like what he comes up with. Now he must find out the truth even if he doesn't like it and what to do about it. Switches between Dean & Bobby's POVs. Set after 06x05, Live Free & TwiHard. Upset/Angry!Dean & Too calm/weird acting!Sam
1. Chapter 1

Not My Sammy

**A/N: **Dang those late-night plot bunnies. This one late last night and normally I do not write in first person so keep that in mind please but this one just popped out in Dean's voice.

**Note updated:** This was planned as a one shot but after a suggestion to see where it could go sort of grew. This isn't beta'd since I have no clue what that is for the most part and it's wayyy to late to be able to see clearly so bear with me and since I chose to reup anyone who has favorited or review please do so again and sorry for the hassle. My fault for uploading at 5AM.

**Warnings:** It's rated T for language since we are talking Dean in a bad mood and as it goes there is some minor violence but nothing serious.

**Pairings: ** None and never fear as I don't do slash ever. There is just some happy brothers toward the end since I had to do a chick-flick moment. It was called for.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters, just borrowing them with harm to none.

**Tags: **Tags and slight spoilers for Season 6 episode 5. Also mentions other events from previous seasons.

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**Chapter One**

I honestly thought that day in Stull Cemetery was the worst in my life. I mean I'd just had to watch my little brother, my Sammy, drag both Lucifer and Michael into a damn hole. I thought that would be the worst…but turns out I was wrong.

I spent a year trying to live up to that damn promise I'd made to Sammy. I went to Lisa and Ben and tried to live the so-called 'apple pie life' that he wanted for me so much.

Those days were hard and I never gave up the thought of either finding a way to break Sammy free from that damn cage or joining him. While hard, that year still wasn't the worst. Between my going to Hell and losing Sam…it ranked a close third.

Then it came and maybe I didn't fully want to face it because even though I seriously hated getting attacked by Djinns or risking Lisa and Ben, I had Sammy back…or so I made myself believe.

Between the soul-wrecking numbness of seeing him, alive and solid, in front of me to dealing with a Grandfather I personally saw get killed before I was even born. Yet Samuel was back along with Sam and a handful of cousins that I'd rather trust Crowley before them…I just refused to let myself think what was wrong with this picture. I mean Bobby had seen Sam. Bobby would have done the usual crap to test him just like he did when I walked in his door after coming back…didn't he?

I tried to stay out of the hunting life again. I tried to pretend that I could keep being with Lisa and ignore that my brother, my Sammy, was out there still hunting on his own. O-kay, I was still pissed that he'd been hunting for a year solo but that's not the point.

The point is I'd forgotten every damn lesson my Dad taught me. Pretty much from the age of four, Dad had drilled it into my skull not to trust everything you see. Even if you see it proved to you, don't trust it until you can prove it yourself. Dad could be a self-absorbed bastard at times but those rules had saved my life and Sam's countless times and I'd forgotten them…no, I ignored 'em in favor of just seein' what I wanted.

I could tell during the fight with the Djinns that Sam was…off. He wasn't the open, emotional little brother that'd I'd raised (since I'll admit to myself that I raised that kid, not Dad). He was closed off, didn't care for the people we saved like he'd always had.

Excuses. That's what I created, what he gave. He'd been locked up with two feuding Archangels for Christ's sake so he's bound to have issues. Hell, I still has issues from my time in the Pit but yet he looked me in the damn face and said he was fine.

I worried, I doubted but I let it go…even after he let Cas torture some poor kid just to get information. Have I mentioned this is the same brother that wouldn't speak to me when he was eight after I accidentally killed a damn bug he'd been studying? Yeah, and now he's standing back while Cas sticks his goddamn hand in the kids' chest. Red flags began screaming but I shut 'em down because I had seen Sam do all the tests himself. I saw him drink holy water mixed with salt. I saw him cut himself with a silver knife just like I was positive Bobby had down so we went on.

I ignored his connections with Samuel and the cousins. I didn't like 'em and maybe I felt that if something was wrong with my Sammy that they'd done it. I still don't trust 'em but I'm beginning to have less doubts that they're behind Sam's changes…especially after Samuel said something to me in passing before he left. He'd told Sam about the cure but he said that Sammy acted like he had no clue.

That brings us back to now. To what is the worst time in my life and I've had some wicked times but this beats 'em all. This beats Dad being possessed by old Yellow Eyes. It beats watching myself almost die before Dad sold his soul to bring me back. It beats Sammy dying on Cold Oak or my making the deal that sent to me Hell. This even beats, in my warped opinion, setting Lucifer free. Because all those things I still had a margin of control. I could fight back against it. I'm having a hard time fighting this.

Sam's on a food run. We're in another dingy motel and I've just hung up from Bobby. His words still ringing in my ears. It's been a day since Samuel's 'cure' brought me back. Just an FYI, despite what all those punky teen vampire lovers say, it's not all sunshine and roses being turned. I should know since I will never forget the hours I spent as a goddamn vampire. Hell, I still peek in the mirror to check that extra teeth are gone.

That time was bad but it's also what started this because while I was flashing back on the events while the cure fought to purge my system the last image I saw…the last freaking image I glimpsed has turned my world more upside down that the day in Stull.

Because I saw my brother, my Sam…no, I won't call him that now because this is not my Sammy and whatever doubts I had on that are gone. I saw him watching. I saw him let that damn vampire turn me and I saw…him…it…whatever the hell, I saw him smile and again I hear Bobby on the phone.

"_I didn't get the chance to throw Holy Water in the idjits' face, Dean. Sam did all the tests for me_." and just like that I knew. I knew what my gut has been screaming at me from that first day when I woke up after the Djinn attack. This wasn't my brother. It wasn't my Sammy.

Now I just needed to know what the hell was it? I'd seen him do the tests, so had Bobby but, and I could hear my Dad in my head, what did we see?

I swallowed my pride and called one of the cousins to ask a simple question and Gwen answered easily enough since I gave no reason that I was worried. That gallon jug of 'holy water' Sam had put salt in that night…he'd filled it from the tap. Telling them he wanted it for when I woke up. It wasn't Holy Water.

The duffel is still by his bed and my hands shake as I open it. Clothes, laptop, nothing unusual. Then I get to the bottom and find the salt tin I saw him use. It looks like salt but as soon as I taste it, the blood that's cold in my veins drop a few more degrees. Sugar, not salt.

Then my fingers land on what I really want to see. The knife he cut himself with. Even without the salt and holy water, most evil will react to a cut from a silver knife. I keep tellin' myself that even as I sit back on the bed with it.

Sam and I both have silver knives. It's an always stocked item in our lives so as I look at this goddamn blade I'm moving from nervous, to worried, to scared until I finally hit anger because this thing ain't silver. While I put it all back as it was so it doesn't suspect, my emotions have run the gauntlet until I'm left without something I haven't felt since I showed up on Lisa's doorstep.

A hunter's instinct, a hunter's knowledge that whatever this is it is not human and that means it sure as hell ain't my little brother. That's when something else breaks through. Something that hasn't been in me fully in a hell of a long time. The big brother protective instinct that I've had since Sam was six month's old. The gut rage that I felt after those crazy damn Benders snatched Sammy, the need to find and kill anything that touches that kid because it's what I've always done and haven't been able to really since the whole Ruby/demon blood/Lucifer/Apocalypse crap.

Sam and I grew apart in those last days. Partly because I was so damn tired and angry and partly because of things I let him believe. It was the loss of connection that this thing was able to pull this off. Whatever it is.

I lost a year. He's been topside for a year but has it been Sam that whole time or this thing? Too many questions, no answers except it's not a demon because it's crossed into my…into Lisa's house and Bobby's and there are Devil's Traps in both. I've seen the tattoo on his chest which prevents possession but that doesn't mean shit if this heads in the direction I think.

Cas swears both Lucifer and Michael are still in the Cage and Cas would have felt that when he was here so that rules out that which brings me back again to two possible things. One I don't want to consider because if it's a ghoul then my Sammy is dead but he's been with me pretty steady and I'm not getting the ghouly feeling.

Son of a bitch! That leaves one more thing and all the same over protective instincts kick in. Just like goddamn St. Louis again. Only the roles are reversed but not for too much longer. That's a damn fact. We're heading for Bobby's and…

'Sam', sure as hell not my Sammy, comes back with the food. He's calm, at ease, just like he has been since we got back together. It's hard not to show the newly resurfaced anger and emotion but I force it down as I watch him. All the mannerisms, the tone, the memories, he gets right but that's normal for 'em.

"You alright?" 'he' asks me and I could laugh at that but instead I wait until I can speak normally or at least how I have been.

"Sure, Bobby called and needs us to swing by," I remark, seeing 'him' shoot me a look then shrug before opening the laptop and I wait a couple seconds to add. "He says he has a 'shifter on the loose that he needs help with."

There it was. The tick of his jaw. Son of a bitch!

"No problem. We've handled 'em before," 'he' smiles at me but I'm no longer seeing that. All I'm seeing, aside from my anger and worry, is my little brother the last time I saw him. Keeping Lucifer in check and sacrificing himself for the damn world.

I see my Sammy the night in Stanford when I brought him back into his life. I see him after Jessica dies like Mom did. I see those damn puppy dog eyes that he knows will get him anything from me and I hear his laugh after he got back at me for the pranks during the Hell House case.

Those moments and so much more were my Sammy and as I sit across from the thing bearing his face now all I know is that this shape-shifting son of a bitch isn't going to be facing a calm, domesticated Dean Winchester who left suburbia and might have gotten a little rusty in the hunting game.

No, he got a pissed off, fully enraged back in 'protect Sammy' older brother back in the game and I know where Bobby keeps all the goddamn silver I'll need because before we leave Bobby's this time I'll know where my Sammy is and I'll move Heaven and Hell if I have to in order to get him back.

My Sammy…my baby brother who I hurt more by tossing away the amulet he gave me. Gotta have Cas go find that…after we get Sammy back from this thing and that's Dean's plan #1- get Sammy back before I put Plan #2 in motion. Put a clip of silver bullets in this damn things heart for touching what no one ever touches and that's **my Sammy**.

_A/N 2: While this should have ended here and can, for those interested to see what happens next, continue on to Chapter 2 and so on._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Bobby's POV:**

I've been a hunter for more years now than I care to remember. I've seen good hunters come and go and I've seen bad hunters get their asses handed to 'em by the evil they were supposed to be huntin' and in a couple cases I handed 'em to 'em themselves…damn Roy and Walt for thinking they could get away with the crap they tried.

Two of the best hunters I've known well I'm sometimes proud to say I watched 'em grow up. Sometimes because I can honestly say those two damn idjits drive me to drink too much at times. Though what can I expect when I consider who their Daddy was.

John Winchester was a brash, hot-headed, bull-headed, stubborn son of a bitch on his good days and Lord knows if his boys got anything from John it was that stubborn streak.

There were days when Jim and I could have pounded John's head in for the way he brought those boys up. Dean was always more of a father to Sam than John was so it never shocked me the loyalty those two boys have had for one another.

Yeah, they had their bad times. Sam's college years, the fights between Sam and John that Dean always tried to smooth over, Dean making that damn crossroads deal to save his brother and going to Hell. If I'm honest with myself, I blame a lot of how Sam ended up on my head since after Dean went to Hell for four months, forty years in the Pit, I let the boy stay away because I was hurting too.

Each of those boys are like my own blood and maybe if I'd pushed Sam more, pushed him to come around and kept closer tabs on him then he wouldn't have been influenced as much by that damn demon bitch Ruby. He wouldn't have gone down the demon blood route but that's water under the bridge now and now we have bigger fish to fry.

Now it's been a half an hour since I got the last text message from Dean and I can't wrap my damn head around it to save my soul. 'It's not our Sammy. It's a shifter.'

Dean had been complaining since he started hunting with Sam again that somethin' had been off with the boy but maybe I just wanted, no, needed to believe so much that I ignored the old hunters instinct.

When Sam first came back after the events in Stull Cemetery I was just as dumbfounded as I was when Dean showed up on my door after he'd climbed from the grave, literally. Though unlike with Dean, I didn't get the chance to toss Holy Water in his face or salt him down or hand him a silver knife to do all the proper tests to be sure of what I was looking at.

Sam did them himself with no prompting from and that should have been my first goddamn clue! I'd watched the Winchester boys grow up. I should have known that either of them, especially Sam, should not have willingly swallowed Holy Water with salt in it unless I was aiming a shotgun at their damn heads. They're just contrary that way.

Now it took Dean being turned into a damn vampire, I still do not want to know the details on that because I know it woulda killed that boy to be the very thing he grew up huntin', to finally land on the truth. He thought I'd done the tests and I thought he had. Neither one of us had physically tested Sam and that was how he'd gotten past us.

Slapping my phone down, I start getting things together that might be needed. Dean's last call said they'd been at my door in a couple hours to help with my 'shifter' problem. That translates into Dean's planning on laying some serious whup ass on whatever this thing is that's wearin' his brothers' face.

During the last days before the whole Apocalypse went down, Dean had gotten too tired to care about himself or his brother. There was a gap like I'd never seen between them and sure, at the end things had been better it was too late. I never thought I'd hear that tone in the boy's voice again like I did during his last call.

This was Dean's rough, anger-barely-controlled, don't touch my little brother tone that I'd heard him use countless times when they were boys. Glad to hear it though since I wasn't lookin' forward to smackin' the idjit upside his head again.

I look around the library and shook my head. No way in hell was I letting Dean cut loose up here. We'd test a few theories to be sure then head for the basement where hopefully the little secret Jim and I set up a long time ago still works.

The holy water had been dumped in my version of Winchester Kool-Aid. Two glasses of spiked lemonade, heavy on the spiked. I'd just finished laying a thin salt line in a crease under the front door when I heard that familiar rumble of the Impala and couldn't help but think that Dean was seriously going to want the car fumigated once he proved that the person with him was not his brother.

Dean Winchester letting a demon, a shapeshifter or anything paranormal into his beloved Impala just wasn't happenin' without a lot of bitchin'. Hell the boy used to gripe when Castiel rode in the backseat.

I heard the front door open and knew the tone right away. "Yo, Bobby! We're here!"

Dean was pissed and the fun hadn't started yet.

_A/N: Dean's POV in the next chapter._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Dean's POV: **

It hadn't taken much to convince 'Sam' to come to Bobby's with me since to refuse would have been a little too suspicious and despite the change of behavior recently that would have been one change too many. Not sure if it suspects I'm on to him or not but I have to hope not.

The drive up took a little less than what I quoted to Bobby and the whole damn time I'm trying to avoid thinking too much. If I thought about the thing sitting next me, in my beloved Impala, then the anger started breaking through again.

Only once had I gripped the wheel hard enough that 'he' looked at me with concern. Just asked if I was feelin' alright from the whole vampire time.

My first gut instinct was to snap something like 'How should I be after you watched a damn vamp turn me, Sam?' but for once in my life of acting before thinking I shut my mouth, slammed AC/DC into the tape player and gritted my teeth to make small talk.

After awhile I glanced over to see that he was sleeping and I tightened my grip again. Another thing that should have tipped me off. Since Cas…smashed that thing he'd called a car and we started ridin' together again whenever he'd fall asleep the posture was off. Tense, sleeping upright with his head against the back of the seat.

Sammy, even in the bad times, would always slouch in on himself or curl against the door with his head against the window…or on certain times against my shoulder. Like the times right after Jess when I could get the kid to sleep.

I'm hoping Bobby believes me and had gotten things ready because now that I have a 98.9% opinion on this I'm not giving up until I know the truth about this crap. Just gotta remember not to break Bobby's house too much. The old man bitched for a month the last time Sam and I did damage to the house though I still say the damn zombies did more.

Pulling into the Singer Salvage yard, I pulled up behind Bobby's truck and turned off the Impala. Glancing over again, I looked in the backseat to let my gaze land on the plastic green Army man who was still lodged in the ashtray.

That little green figure had figured into our lives so many times that I hadn't doubted my decision in putting it back after I rebuilt the car. Today I flashed back to another time that little soldier had been important to us and it was in that damn cemetery in Lawrence when Lucifer, while still in control of my brother, was beating me to death.

Despite Bobby's lecture later, I didn't regret going there that day because I hadn't planned on allowing Sam to die alone. Even if it meant pissing off two jackasses like Lucifer and Michael. Even though I couldn't see him too well by that point, I knew the moment when Sam had snapped back in control and why.

Sammy had seen that green little soldier and something in that had allowed him the strength to fight back because like putting our initials in the leather, that soldier was something to us.

I close my eyes against the pain and fight to bury the anger again as I reach over to shake the shoulder next to me and continue pretending that everything's normal. "Rise and sun, Princess!" I say loud enough to be normal, well normal for me. "We're at Bobby's and I hope he was liquor and food because I'm starving."

'Sam' blinks his eyes and looks around as if clearing his thoughts before finally exiting the car. Leaning on the roof he glances at me with those damn unreadable eyes. "You could have woke me up and I would have drove for awhile, Dean."

I've hustled and conned for as long as I can remember, be it for money to live on or when we were kids, money to buy Sammy shoes or stuff he needed, but never did I put in a better performance like the one I did when I was able to keep a straight face at that suggestion.

"Let you touch my baby after you let an Angel crunch yours?" I scoffed easily while grabbing both bags before he could snatch his like he'd been doing. "Not happening in my lifetime, Sam."

Luckily I was spared from going on when Bobby threw open the front door and yelled for us to quit bickering like five year olds over a toy car and get inside. Just the sound of the gruff older man's voice allowed to me release some of the tension I'd been feelin' since I had figured it out.

Rolling my eyes back at my 'brother' we went up the steps and crossed into Bobby's house. Knowing that he knew what I thought, I shifted slightly to sit my bag by the door and caught the thin salt line. Giving Bobby a tired smirk I allowed my eyes to drift up and caught sight of something that was probably Bobby's up-to-date, high-tech version of a Devil's Trap.

"We got here as soon as we could, Bobby," I remarked as I watched 'Sam' enter the house easily enough as he had before when we brought Ben and Lisa here after the Djinn's attack. No smoking, no hissing, no obvious pain. Yep, not a demon.

"I told you idjits not to speed!" Bobby snapped gruffly, rolling his eyes but shoving glasses toward 'Sam' and myself. "The last damn thing I need is more cops on my door. Between you two and Rufus, I never know who's going to be on the other side of that door when I open it. Now drink the damn lemonade and get your asses in the basement."

Pretending to be surprised by Bobby's tone, I did down the drink and then nearly choked by the amount of whiskey Bobby had dumped in along with, I'm hoping, a healthy does of Holy Water.

"What's in the basement or should I ask?" I wondered curiously enough while 'Sam' drank his lemonade a little more slowly but finished it without an issue and without noticing that both Bobby and I were watching him.

After again no rise of black smoke or pain appeared, Bobby and exchanged looks and shrugs. Definitely not a demon unless it was way more powerful than the regular run-of-the mill demon we used to fight…damn who would think I missed fighting regular demons and Wendigos.

Blinking at the hand that smacked me in the head I realized that I hadn't been paying attention to Bobby and quickly brought my thoughts back to the matter at hand.

"I was saying, I stashed the proof that we're dealing with a shapeshifter in the basement," Bobby repeated in his 'start paying attention, boy' voice that he'd used on me since I was a teenager.

'Sam' was frowning as we followed Bobby toward the basement and deep in my heart I was glad that Bobby had chosen to move this party to a part of the house that couldn't be damaged too badly.

"What kind of proof?" he was asking curiously, flipping on the light before starting down the steps. "A body?"

I heard Bobby snort as he followed 'Sam' and was quick to catch the small object he pressed into my palm when passing.

"If several used skins account for a 'shifter's body then yep, that's what I got," he remarked, adding easily. "Something about these skins seems different though. Not like the usual aftereffects of a shifter."

I watched as 'Sam' paused on the bottom step to give Bobby a look that was a little curious and a little worried but not like it should have been.

Ever since St. Louis when that 'shifter took my form and tried to kill him, Sammy was more than a little freaked by the damn things. That damn thing had brought up a lot of crap that I hadn't mentioned before and worked hard to forget. Too bad I had a little brother with a memory like a trap and that stuff had laid between us for a long time.

Today he seems a little too curious and eager to look at Bobby's evidence and that's just another level of proof in my corner.

When I stepped down into the basement, I saw Bobby off to one side while 'Sam' was kneeling down and appeared to be looking at some mess in the middle of the floor. Shifting a look to Bobby, I couldn't help the look of 'What the hell?' on my face since I knew he couldn't have had any leftover 'shifter skin laying around and if he did then that was just another level of weird that I don't want to know about the man who practically helped to raise me and Sammy.

Seeing an open shot, I moved to kneel next to him as if interested in what he was looking at when I took the small silver knife with some sort of engraving on it out of my hand and shifted, bumping up against his arm with the tip.

"Damn! Sorry, Sam." I say quickly, seeing him jerk his arm close to him even though the cut would have barely scratched skin. "Still a bit off balance since Samuel cured me I guess."

'Sam' shook his head but didn't look at me right away. 'It's fine, Dean,' he assured me but not before I heard the pain in his voice and saw what I was looking for between his fingers. The skin was bubbling and hissing where it had come into contact with the silver blade.

Closing my eyes for a second, I couldn't help but release a breath that I'd been holding while standing up to step over to Bobby's work table. Avoiding Bobby's eyes, I fingered an axe before looking back. "Hey, Sam?" I tried for casual and think I did good considering the pounding in my head.

"Yeah, Dean?" It had the gall to still pretend and I just wanted to pull the damn .45 and end it but one thing kept me grounded. One thing kept me from doing that.

Finally turning around to face the thing that was wearing my brother's face, this time I didn't bother hiding the anger or disgust as I met the hazel eyes. "You care to tell me just what the hell you are and where the hell my baby brother is?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **_**This should be in Bobby's POV mainly as he watches what transpires next. Will Dean find out what he wants? Where is Sammy? Darn good questions.**_

**Chapter 4**

**Bobby's POV:**

Damn stupid idjit. I knew that Dean would jump as soon as he had proof that this wasn't his brother and I was honestly surprised that he didn't go for its throat.

I was watchin' as 'Sam' lifted his head to look at Dean and at first he tried to laugh it off. "Dean, I am your brother. I know you think I'm different since…well the whole Apocalypse thing but I think this whole ordeal with the vampires might have made you…"

I've known Sam Winchester since he was in diapers and I know that boy would never used that overly come, talking to a mentally ill man tone on his older brother. I knew it and so did Dean.

Though in Dean's case, the tone lit his temper more but he still held his place and only showed that trademarked smirk. "Yeah? O-kay then use this and cut your arm," Dean urged, holding up the silver dagger I'd passed him.

"Both you and Bobby saw me cut myself before, Dean," 'Sam' spoke evenly while shifting a look in my direction but I didn't blink one way or another. This was between them.

"We saw you pass 'your' tests," Dean shot back, slightly taking a step forward. I watched his eyes harden more. "While you were out on that last food run, I took the time to look at your 'silver' knife and man you must think I'm some sort of moron if you didn't think I wouldn't know that knife wasn't silver! You are so not my Sammy!"

I thought this was going to stalemate for awhile, going back and forth and while I had another way to cut through that crap I was hesitant to do that. In the end, I didn't have to because I watched as 'Sam' finally cut his protests short and gazed at Dean with a smile that made my colder than when I watched Lucifer in Sam.

"Dean, lets say for arguments sake that you're right. That's I'm not your precious little brother, I'm not a demon and Bobby's Devil's Trap won't hold me so how could you stop me from leaving after I finish what that damn vampire failed at?"

Well I knew that would set off Dean's short fuse and saw his muscles bunch as if preparing to go for the throat and if this thing was a shifter then I knew Dean wouldn't stand a chance since his head wasn't in the game yet.

I wasn't givin' either of 'em a chance to kill the other. As soon as Dean started twitching I hit the hidden switch and soon the silver cage that Jim and I had built years ago came crashing down around our guest with a loud clank.

"If you can get yourself outta there Twinkle-Toes then we'll talk but until then I suggest you seriously give some thought to answering Dean's question," I tell it, seeing Dean's eyes and the unasked questions. "What? Jim and I had need of it way back when you were still toddlin' around."

Dean just shot me one of his 'I'll want to know later' looks and glared at the thing in the cage that now didn't look so calm.

'Sam' looked at the silver bars uneasily and tried to smirk. "You think I'm a 'shifter? Dean, if I was why would I have risked my neck to protect the 'shifter baby?"

Alright, that was a good question I had to admit but Dean just sneered. "So you could keep your cover, not to mention your skin, intact," he threw back, tossing the smaller silver knife on my workbench while he pulled out a longer one and I could see that 'Sam' must have caught something in Dean's stance or in the knife itself because he went rigid.

"You won't do anything to me, Dean," but I could tell that it wasn't positive of that and to be truthful neither was I.

Hell, I'd seen this boy sell his soul to bring his brother back to life so anything Dean does right now wouldn't surprise me.

John had taught Dean a lot of things and I'll be the first to admit that the boy carried more weapons on him normally than either Jim, Caleb or I thought was right or proper. The sudden appearance of a silver throwing knife that embedded itself in the fake Sam's thigh showed me that despite a year away from hunting that Dean's reactions were still sharp.

"I have about twenty more of those, you son of a bitch," Dean gritted as he knelt by the cage to reach in before I could even advise him not to. "You should have paid more attention to Sammy's memories and maybe you wouldn't have finally given yourself away."

'Sam' gritted his teeth as the silver in his thigh burned like acid but he kept his composure as he faced the older Winchester brother and I have to say that this thing was courting death by this point. "What gave it away then?"

I was curious about this too while watching Dean finger another silver dagger. "Aside from the usual?" he countered easily, voice dropping to one that reminded me that Dean could be like his father at times. "Aside from the cold-hearted, no emotion crap you've been feeding me? To letting Cas torture that kid to finally smiling as a goddamn vampire turned me? You want to know the one thing that screwed you with this act?"

Dean's finger let another knife go and this time the fake Sam yelled and I knew we were getting close. But, when Dean reached into the cage and jerked it to its feet I began to worry that his temper would end this before we got that critical answer and not for the first time I found myself wishing for Castiel. That feather brained Angel could calm Dean down faster than anyone but Sam.

"You screwed up when I woke up from the Djinn attack and I hugged you…God that's gross even as I think about it!" Dean's green eyes were cold but I still held my tongue. So far he was in control…so far as he went on.

"Even addicted to demon blood and high on power, when I came back from the Pit and saw Sam that first time and hugged him…he hugged back. He hugged back like he did when he was six years old and scared from a damn nightmare!" now I watched closer because Dean's emotions would go deep if he recalled his childhood and the years he spent protectin' his brother. "I hugged you and you barely moved and I knew that night that you sure as hell wasn't my brother. Now where the hell is Sam!"

This went on for a couple hours until finally I grabbed Dean's arm to get his attention. "This ain't getting' us anywhere, boy," I hated to tell him that but it was time to work on what we knew.

"While you've been down here wastin' good silver and getting' nothing, I made a call to your Grandpa," holding up a hand to stop the yelling that I know was coming. "I don't give a quart of flyin' monkeys if you like that or not, ya damn idjit but we need a timeline and Samuel and Christian gave me a start." 

I could tell Dean was tired, both emotionally and physically and that he detested calling on his Mother's kin for help but nodded jerkily that he was listening but his eyes were still on the fake Sam.

"Samuel said when they found Sam he was a mess. Shaking, nightmares, all the kind of crap we'd expect him to have after what he endured for however long he was in the cage. I'm guessing it was probably a couple weeks after Stull."

I waited to be sure the dumb boy was still listening and I could see he was so I went on. "It was your cousin that actually told me that it was about a month after later that Sam, still wary and on edge, went out on a simple salt and burn and came back totally different. More calm, confident, and cold."

"And they didn't think anything could be wrong with him?" Dean slapped his hand against the cage. "They didn't do the tests or…"

"He did 'em himself just like he did with us and Christian said that Samuel was confident that it was Sam and if it wasn't then they could handle it as it came." I could see the wheels turning in my boy's brain at that and knew the second it sunk in because that vein in his forehead came into view.

Closing his eyes and swearing so I didn't hear him, Dean finally shook the anger off at that. "Did the Campbell Soup kid happen to reveal where this salt and burn was at?"

I was hoping he wouldn't ask that right away or that I didn't have to answer him but in the end I didn't have to.

"Lawrence," the fake Sam sounded tired and in pain but the sneer in his voice was almost enough to make me want to go get my shotgun early even as I saw Dean's body go rigid.

"Say what?" he glared at the imposter with murder and I knew he wanted to rip its heart out by this point.

The shapeshifter, there was no longer any doubt that was what we were dealing with since one of Dean's knives had jerked off a good hunk of skin from its hand, stood up in the cage but didn't touch the silver bars to sneer right into Dean's face.

"Your sweet baby brother was a wreck after he got loose from the cage, Dean. He went to see you, hid in the shadows and was so absorbed that he didn't notice the flickering light of the demon that followed him. I killed the demon so it didn't ruin my chance and waited," 'Sam' laughed coldly. "I waited and soon he went out to Lawrence on a hunt and pounced. It was so easy because all I had to do was take a form that I knew would get his attention and your sweet Mother did that."

Shit, shit, shit. I didn't have a chance in hell of grabbing Dean before he had the cage open and the 'shifter out and slammed into the panic room door. "Dean! Don't listen to…Dean!"

Too late. Before I could react, Dean had slammed the panic room door shut and locked it from the inside and all I could do was wait and listen.

Damn idjit Winchesters, damn stubborn hot-headed boys would kill me faster than anything. I listened as Dean raged and just hoped he kept the upper hand.

Listening, I took something out of my pocket that I'd been holding onto since Sam had given it to me before leaving for Detroit and I remembered what he said to me. " 'Give it to Dean after he's had a chance to calm down and forget me, Bobby,'"

Between Dean facing down Death that day to stopping the release of a mass amount of Croatoa virus I coulda cheerfully smacked both those idjits that day but all I did was take the small box and shake my head at the boy. " 'Sam, your brother will never forget you'" I'd said and hoped that Sam knew that at the end too.

Finally the sound a single gunshot sounded and I nearly went through basement ceiling, waiting with a hand on my shotgun until the panic room door slowly slid open and Dean stepped out, blood on his hands, shirt and face.

Taking a peek around him to see the unmoving body with Sam's face, I hit his shoulder to gain attention. "You get what we need, boy?"

There was a long moment of silence as he looked back at that body and I doubted until finally I saw those familiar green eyes shift to mine with a look I knew well. Dean was on a mission and God help anyone stupid enough to get in his way. "Dean? Boy, did he tell you where…where Sam was?"

"Hell yes and now I'm going to go get my brother," Dean's tone reminded me of when Sam was missing after the Yellow Eyed Demon had snatched him and I pitied anyone who tried to stop him.

Dean wasn't one to wait and I knew asking him to was stupid so as he started to rush past me up the steps I just latched on to that arm and pulled him back. Seeing the emotions in his eyes, the fear of waiting another minute, assured me that the gap between the boys wasn't going to be there anymore.

"We're gonna go get your brother, boy," I corrected, slamming the panic room door shut and locking it. Knowing I'd burn the body after I got back. "Let's go get Sam, Dean."

Dean had made a habit of burying his feelings but as he passed me this time, I didn't miss the relief in his eyes or the whispered 'Thanks, Bobby.' before he was out the door and running for the Impala.

I'd follow in my truck after calling Rufus for backup and kept to myself the dreaded thought of what if we were too late.

_A/N: Next chapter should be the last unless an Epilogue is called for. Thanks for following along and sorry if it rambles. 1__st__ person is not what I'm good at._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Dean's POV:**

I had pushed the Impala hard before. Trips to rush my Dad or Sammy to the ER after a hunt went wrong. The trip from Cold Oaks to the Crossroads and back really pushed my baby to her limits but those trips were easy compared to the one I was on now.

I knew it was reckless and rash to kill that bastard before I had Sam back but knowing that he had used our Mother's image to trick Sammy. On top of what else he said after I had gotten him into the panic room just mad me see red and after I finally was confident he told me the truth ended my issues with a quick round of silver to his heart.

It was less than he deserved and depending on what I find in Lawrence I may still put a few more rounds in it when we get back to Bobby's.

A quick look in the rearview mirror showed that Bobby was keeping up and while I was glad he'd be with me for this, since I had no intention of calling on the Campbells, I can't help the feeling of unease as we cross the boundary line into Lawrence.

I'd had the damn feeling since we hit the Kansas state line and the closer I drove to…home…the more I hated the feeling.

Home. That's what this was at one time in my life. Until I was four and my world crashed down in a rain of fire and my Mom died. I swore I'd never come back and except for the day at Stull Cemetery, I've only been back once and that was Sam's fault too.

Sure we saved that family from the poltergeist that was living in our own house but I can still recall Sam's eyes that night and the nights after that when he'd wake up calling for her. We'd seen Mom that night. She burnt out her spirit to save Sam and you'd think I would have been just glad to see her one more time. I was but I was also obsessing over her only words to Sammy.

It wasn't until Cas sent to into the past that I knew why she apologized to him. Mom had always known in some way what would probably happen but that's gone now and now I have other issues. My little brother was somewhere in this town and I wasn't going to rest until I found him.

A quick glance at the address I'd written down told me which section of town I needed and I was just turning the wheel when my cellphone picked that moment to scream. For the first time, I actually hated to hear 'Highway to Hell' but thinking it might be Bobby, snapped it open and answered in my usual calm, controlled way.

"Who the hell it this and what the hell do you want? I'm kinda busy here!"

The sharp intake of breath on the other end quickly told me that it was Bobby and that I was about to be read the riot act from a very ticked off psychic.

"Dean Winchester! I'm gonna to cut you some slack for that foul mouth and that sharp tone because I know you're stressed but boy, I swear if you ever take that tone with me again I'll smack you upset the head with the first thing I have handy!"

I could have groaned. Missouri Mosley was a nice woman the only one besides Ellen who could put me in my place that fast. Struggling to drive and listen to the phone, I could have snarled but held my tongue.

"Look, Missouri, it's great to hear from you and all but I'm sort of…"

"I know what you're doing and you better keep that damn head on straight and not touch anything! I'll be with you in under ten minutes." I heard her words frowned. I started to ask how she even knew I was in town when I heard her cluck at me.

"Boy, think with that head instead of usin' it as a batterin' ram. How else would I know you're in town?"

O-kay, the whole psychic thing still freaks me out but I keep my mouth shut on that too as I see the run down building. "Oh, shit," this place looks like it could fall in with a good wind.

"Dean! You find your brother but you stay calm!" I heard her still shouting at me and stop listening or even caring as I slam the Impala into park and was rooting in the trunk for what I thought I may need along with some other stuff.

A hand on my shoulder told me that Bobby had arrived and I barely took the time to notice that he'd called Rufus in. I didn't care who he'd called. I just wanted my brother…I just wanted Sammy.

"Dean, wait," Bobby was grim and I knew what was coming and didn't want to listen. After the past few days, finally knowing that my hunches had been right and coming to realize that my brother had been held by who knows what for almost a year, I just wanted to be moving but the hand tightened. "I know advisin' you to be careful is like askin' the wind to stop blowin' but just remember that we don't know who else may be in that building or what Sam's state will be."

I knew all that. I mean, unlike what others thought, I did often think things through…I just didn't always listen after I did the thinkin' I'd once went into a burning house because the damn ghost had slammed Sammy down a flight of stairs and he was still inside. I'd taken second degree burns and a swift and harsh lecture from my Dad on that stunt but it was Sammy and if Bobby doesn't know by now what I'll do for that kid then it's time he remembered.

I was starting to pull away when he tossed me something. Looking down at the small box, I blinked at him in confusion. "What's this?"

"Sam gave it to me to give to you. He said to give it to you after you'd had a chance to forget him but I figure you may need this to get through to him." Bobby told me, watching as I opened the box and almost forgot to breath.

The night after Roy and Walt killed Sammy and me, memo to self; buy Rufus some good booze for helping Bobby whack those two, I had tossed the amulet into the trash because I had lost hope in everything.

I had seen my brother's version of Heaven and it had hurt. I didn't think that it could have been a manipulated image to weaken my resolve further. I just wanted to hurt Sam and by tossing the amulet that he'd given me when I was twelve, I had done just that.

Lifting the familiar gold object from the box, I saw Bobby watching me and I swallowed. Sammy had taken it from the trash and held onto it. Sammy didn't give up on us even if I had for the time.

Placing it back around my neck and feeling the easy, familiar weight of it on my chest made things seem easier. More like it had been before I'd been stupid. Now I just needed one more thing. I needed my Sammy.

"You and Rufus take the back," I told him, shouldering the smaller duffle over my shoulder and making sure my pistol was loaded with silver tipped rounds, I headed for the building. "I have the front."

"Stupid idjit," could be heard from behind me but I didn't care as I fought to settle my emotions and handle this as my Dad taught me.

If Dad were here, he'd want us to recon the place to death. Get a feel for the building, see if there were any threats inside, and then wait a couple hours to get their measure. Yeah, Dad was a pip on a hunt. Too much military. He tried to raise soldiers, not sons and that's how he lost Sammy.

Well, I'm not my Father, sorry Dad, and I don't honestly give a damn what's on the other side of this door. I want my baby brother and that's what's important to me. Bobby can lecture about the rash acts I do when he stitches me up later.

The front door gives under one kick and I'm half expecting a horde of 'shifters to charge me but all I get is the echo of me kicking in the door and the scuttling of rats…of course there would have to be rats. Times like this I wish when Cass asked me what I wanted for a reward after the Apocalypse I shoulda said get rid of the damn rats.

This is my nerves now as I sweep the main floor quickly, not seeing any threats but noticing a lot of piles of leftover skin. Gagging at the sight, I know that many of these have been here a while and none were over eight months so how long had the shifters left this building and if they had…no I wouldn't think that.

Hearing the back door come in, I know Bobby and Rufus will handle up here so I locate a door leading below and take it more cautiously…I do know how to be cautious when it suits me and I fight to ignore the pounding of my heart as I near one door that seems locked.

Cursing sounding and considering just shooting it off, I decide on the stealth method and take the time to actually pick the thing. This is another thing I would never admit normally but my Sasquatch of a baby brother is a hell of a lot better at picking locks than I am.

The damn locks finally falls off and I ease the door open slowly, going in low and silent to be on the safe side. I stop at a low sound somewhere in the back of the room. I can't decide if it's a growl, with my luck these damn 'shifters probably keep a werewolf for a pet and it is the right lunar cycle for 'em, or something else.

Lifting the barrel of my weapon, I use it to nudge a curtain aside and nearly drop it and the gun at the stench that hits me. God, it's worse than a Wendigo's lair and…that shifter's cave back in St. Louis but something about the stench pulls at my memory and as I creep closer and hear the sound again I know where I've smelled something like that before but not to this extreme.

The last time we detoxed Sam after Famine's attack and he fell off the wagon. Sam was locked in the panic room for days as he fought to get clean of the demon blood again. He'd been unable to keep himself clean and had been a mess in so many ways by the time I could get close to him that this smell was just like that. Human filth mixed with…blood and…I'd say fear if fear could be tasted.

Again came the sound, lower, more guttural but not an animal. Something in my gut was saying this. No, now that I was closer I knew the sound. I'd heard it in Hell often enough. The sound of a human in fearful agony but unable to voice the pain in any other way.

Not seeing any threat or 'shifters close by, I chose to risk standing up to move closer. Still using the barrel of my weapon to ease apart the heavy curtains in the large room, I looked when I heard a beep and hissing sound, then a dripping. I'd spent enough time in hospitals to know those sounds and felt my stomach curl in dread as I got closer.

I stopped at the last curtain, listening closely to be sure before I went in when something caught my attention and every even sense I had flew out the window at the weak sound of… "De…n…help…"

On the professional hunter side, I knew I should be cautious. I knew it could be another shifter playin' me but the big brother in me knew that weak little voice and big brother would always trump hunter, at least in my playbook.

"Sam!" I didn't care if there was anyone close to me as I jerked the curtain out of my way to find my brother.

Sammy was hurt, I knew the tone and I wanted to find him and make it stop hurting like I used to do when he was little and still looked up to me.

I've seen a lot of crap while hunting with Dad and solo but nothing like what I stepped into when I finally found Sammy.

The 'shifter needed him alive in order to access his memories and to do that he wired my baby brother up like a lab rat to Ivs with various liquids and all other sorts of machines that I refuse to think on right now.

Taking one final look around, I shove my gun into my waistband, and slowly step up next to the metal bed that was hooked to the wall and floor. Ignoring the smells, I knew what they were and I vow to put another clip into that bastard before we burn the body because he left my little brother chain to a bed, filled with needles, tubes and wires.

Sam was filthy, his clothes reeked from dirt, blood, vomit and…I refuse to think anymore and feel the burning in my eyes at the humiliation my little brother has suffered in his captivity. Afraid and still in shock from his round in the Cage with Lucifer and Michael, captured by a damn shapeshifting son of a bitch and used for his form and memories.

"Sam…Sammy?" I was shocked when my voice shook as I spoke his name for the first time in over a year since I will not allow that thing who looked like my brother to enter into this. As I gently card my fingers through dirty, matted hair that had grown too long even for Sam I was at a loss as to what to do first.

I knew I should call for Bobby. I needed to get him the hell outta here as soon as possible but I also wasn't ready for anyone else to be with us yet. Yeah, selfish much, Dean? I block those thoughts out while using the lockpick to carefully get rid of the chains on Sam's wrists, ankles and waist.

Throwing them to one side along with a string of curses that would have made my military Father blush, I start pulling stuff from the duffel I'd brought along. Sam had ripped his wrists open while fighting the chains and those wounds were clearly infected. I could feel the fever as I used the back of one hand to brush his face, feeling the wet tears and was relieved that he still had those.

"It'll be fine in a little while, Sammy," I promised with my usual confidence when dealing with a sick and hurt Sam. "I'm here now and I'm taking you home."

Looking between the tube hanging by his head to the Ivs in his arms, I easily figured out what had happened. The shifters before clearing out had removed what must have been a feeding tube but left the Ivs to prevent dehydration.

"Real nice of 'em, huh, Sammy?" I spoke calmly but I was in a mix between terror and rage as I carefully removed the IV and swore at the blood that pooled.

His shirt moved aside easily and I caught notice of still livid bruises on his body which meant aside from being held like this, Sam was probably beaten regularly as sport for the 'shifters and I promise another clip of silver bullets.

I'd gotten the IV's out without incident but when I went to shift him slightly on the bed, the soft moan turned into an agonized scream until I jerked my hand away from the small of his back.

"Sammy?" giving a quick look along with an even faster snarl and a vow to empty Bobby's whole inventory of silver bullets into the corpse back at his place I see the infected mess that is Sammy back. "O-kay, kiddo, calm down. It'll be fine."

Hearing my cellphone, I ignored it in favor of gently pulling the reeking and ruined shirt away in favor of the fresh one I grabbed from the bag. It was then I saw the hand print on his shoulder…much like I had from when Cass yanked me from Hell and I vow to smack that Angel if he knows more than he said.

Choosing to ignore the ruined and soiled jeans for now…I so did not want to cope with that yet, I was rubbing my eyes since I'd gotten dirt in 'em somewhere (that's the story I'll stick to), when I felt the body next to me go rigid suddenly and I found myself looking into blurry, unfocused hazel eyes.

"Sammy? You with me?" I know he's not but a guy can hope even when I see the fear building in his. "Sam, listen to me…"

"No…no…not De…not…" the sudden coughing from a dry, unused throat broke off his pained and fearful words that tore my heart almost as much as his screaming in detox did. "Ple…ase, not…Dean…"

I want to reassure him but after so long and not knowing what he's been made to see I'm not sure how when I'm suddenly reminded that even sick, fevered, scared, and hurt my little brother can be goddamned fast. I have to think even faster to grab his battered arms to keep him from doing himself more damage as he suddenly fights with weak little jerks.

"Sam, stop it!" I try to break through his fear but his fever and the fear is making him see what he wants to. "Sammy, please. It's Dean!" I'm at a loss to how to help him when I feel the sharp smack on the back of my head.

"Boy, what did I say about touching anything?" Missouri snaps at me as she rounds the bed to get a better idea of the situation and I'm nearly floored by her next few words. "What? You think you have the market on choice swear words?"

Choosing to focus on my fighting brother, I'm talking nonsense by this point to calm him down but he jerks his head away so I can't touch his face or hair like I normally would.

"No!" he screams raggedly until Missouri places a hand on his chest and he falls silent.

"Listen to me, Sam," I'm surprised at her softer tone but then Sammy's puppy dog eyes always brought that out in people…at least when he wasn't filthy, smelling and looking worse than a three days old donut.

I slowly realize that my brother's struggles have lessened and he seemed to be listening to what Missouri was saying even while she was pointing a sharp finger to halt Bobby's reaction to Sam's condition.

"Sam, honey, I know you're scared but you're safe now. Dean's with you," she was telling him and I could only hope that would mean something still to him.

I had let Sammy down so much toward the end by not trusting him or burying myself in my own problems that I allowed him to sink too far that it was almost too late to find my brother again. Now because I ignored the instincts in my gut, it could cost Sammy his life. It could cost him…"Ow, again with the slap?" I groused at the woman to see she was watching me intently.

It was the silence that I caught next and then a weak touch on my amulet had me snapping my gaze straight down into…"Sammy?"

My brother's eyes were still hazy and unfocused but they were on me now while he dirt caked fingers tried to grasp the amulet as if needing to feel it to be sure and then I knew why. When he'd last seen me I hadn't had it.

"Bobby said you gave it him," I spoke to him, my voice rough with too much emotion that I did not want to let out yet. "Sammy, I could never forget you and I'm sorry I hurt you by throwing this away that night."

His eyes looked at the amulet for a long while before finally searching out my eyes again as his hand fought to grasp the amulet.

"Do you want it, Sam?" I asked, willing to give it to him if it would keep him grounded until we could get him out of this hellhole. I was starting to take it off when his head shook violently and his hand grasped the amulet finally but tugged so I was leaning closer. "Sammy, chill out, man."

"…D…Dean?" his voice was weak, low and dry lips bleed as he tried to speak but before I could tell him to stop talking he broke my heart with his next words. "You…real? Not…gonna hurt…?

I could hear Rufus trying to get Bobby out of the room to vent and I really wanted to follow that example but couldn't tear my gaze away from my brother who was watching me with eyes that reminded me of when he was four and sick.

When Sam was sick or hurt, he was an open book of emotional turmoil and I mean more so than usual and it was one of the few things, beside the puppy dog eyes, that will break me faster than anything and today wasn't any difference.

"No, little brother, I'm not going to hurt you and I won't allow anyone else to hurt you," I promised thickly, again letting my finger card through his hair again and ignored the matted clumps as I forced a smile. "I'm real, Sammy. I'm so sorry that I let this happen."

"Boy, don't you dare start that guilt crap or I'll kick both your asses," Missouri rolled her eyes with a snort as she looked ready for another smack to my head. "You gonna sit there, Dean, or are you going to get this boy out of this filth?"

I'd been ignoring what my brother was lying in but I knew I needed him out of here and at the closest hotel I could find. "Sammy? I need you to listen to me a second. I need to pick you up and get you outta here and it's going to hurt."

For a minute I wasn't certain if he was listening or not since I knew he was still in shock and fevered but when I started to move, his hand that was gripping the amulet tightened while his other arm tried to move and I reacted on instinct.

Ducking my head lower so the flailing arm could land on my shoulder, I could hear Sam trying to speak but nothing would come out but he was shaking in a way I knew. Dry tears.

Leaning closer so I could move an arm around his bruised shoulders, I didn't let on when his grip tightened slightly to cling as I eased him up to me and Missouri was there while I held my hurt, sobbing little brother then too damn bad.

Sam had buried his face against my shoulder like he used to while his hand was still clutching the amulet like a lifeline but I could now feel the fever building. A quick look at the other injuries and I knew he needed to be cleaned and get out of here faster than I could manage even with Bobby and Rufus helping so easing back slightly but still keeping a grip on my brother I looked to the ceiling and made a choice.

"Castiel! Get your damn Angel ass down here right now!" I yelled, quickly soothing Sam when my tone made him jerk. "Shhh, Sammy. It's fine, I'm just trying to finagle a little Angel help and Cas, you better not ignore me this…"

I knew by Missouri's small gasp and Bobby's grumbling, not to mention the soft rustling of invisible feathers that said Angel in question had chosen to reply.

"I do not intentionally ignore you, Dean," came the all too formal tone that he'd gone back to using since becoming Heaven's Sheriff. "I do have other duties now and…Dean?"

"Yeah, Cas?" I wait for what I know is coming and I don't have to look to know that the trench-coat wearing Angel is quickly examining the location and is building up to his next question.

"Where are we, why does this look like something out of one of those horror movies you like to watch and what in my Father's name has happened to Sam?"

All in one breath and without raising a tone. It used to impress me that Cas could stay so calm but I know him now and I know he's alarmed at my brother's condition.

"We're in Lawrence, Kansas, this is the lair on the shapeshifter who has been holding Sam prisoner for over a year and that last one should answer the other question since how should Sammy look after what he's been put through?" I throw back then pause to lift an eyebrow at him. "Did you know that day when we helped you that Sam wasn't Sam?"

Cas is a cool guy, even for an Angel and true I might've taught him a few things I shouldn't have but he can't lie to me even though he tries.

Whether he knows this or knows my temper is too close considering Sam is in my arms fully now, sniffling like he'd done as a kid, but I hear the sigh and know I won't like the answer.

"I sensed that something could be off with him," he admitted then quickly added. "However, with the search for the Staff of Solomon at hand I was rather preoccupied."

The growl came from Bobby who I knew was a second from cutting loose in only Bobby style but I pushed my fury aside to pin the Angel with a hard stare. "We will talk about that later." I promised, jerking a glance down to Sam and back to Cas. "I want us and the Impala back at Bobby's ASAP, Cas and don't even think of giving me crap about rules because if you had told me earlier then I might have kept this from becoming so bad."

Castiel was watching me then his gaze dropped to Sam. "He's in pain."

Duh, he thinks? "Yeah, it comes from being held like an animal this long and believing he'd been abandoned! Cas, Angel Express right now!"

I hadn't even finished the threat when I felt his hand and knew by the whirling in my gut and Sam's sudden vomiting that he'd done as I asked him. I just hoped he remembered the car and also brought Bobby and Rufus along as well as getting Missouri home.

"I accomplished all of that without issue, Dean," Cas spoke from beside me where he was standing. "I can…heal…"

While I was thrilled to hear that, I wasn't so sure how happy Sam would be to have an Angel touch him and I wanted to get him clean first.

"Wait for that until he's clean and calm," I tell him, hearing Bobby threatening physical violence to the feather head who scattered his molecules again. "Go calm Bobby down and tell him not to salt and burn that body in the panic room cause I want to unload a few more clips into it."

I don't wait for that reply since it'll take Cas awhile to figure it out and by that time I've gotten the shirt off, seeing fresh blood from old wounds had stained it. Tossing it aside, I reach for the jeans and cringe but make short work of them and swear to burn 'em at first chance.

Feeling the fever was raising, I decide to kill two birds with one stone. A cool bath will help his fever and also dispel a lot of the filth caking Sammy's battered, skinny form.

At the end, my brother was bigger than me in a lot of ways. He's always been taller, but he'd put on muscle at the end that made manhandling him very far hard. Today I think back to when he was small and I could easily move him. He's lost too much weight I think.

Sam fights weakly as soon as I get him in the tub but stops when I place a firm hand on his chest and let him find the amulet again with weak fingers.

"It's alright now, Sammy. I gotcha and you're safe with me," I promise, hoping I could keep that as the infection fights to get out of his body and knowing the next few days weren't gonna be fun for any of us. "I have you now, Sammy and I'm not leaving you again."


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

**Dean's POV:**

**Epilogue**

What do you get when you put two grizzled hunters, a sick little brother and a dense as dirt Angel in one house for a long time? Me with a raging migraine and ready to slit my throat with a silver knife.

Bobby and Rufus have both been great in helping me with Sammy. It took me and Bobby to get him clean and that took three days of scrubbing. I'm sure we still missed some but he's clean and will probably take a swing when he realizes he smells like lilacs…though I'm still not sure why Bobby even has lilac body wash in his house.

Sam hasn't been fully conscious or aware since we brought him to Bobby's and I'm freaking inside. When he is awake he's clinging to me and still asking if I'm real in that weak voice. Other times, he thinks he's back in that room and fights so hard that I'm afraid he'll hurt himself and Cas has to calm him down.

I sleep in small shifts around Sam's sleep patterns. I need to be close because if he wakes and I'm gone then it's holy hell upstairs and I owe Bobby two lamps for that scene. God, I'm ready for him to wake up even if it's with fear or anger because I didn't rescue him in time or…

"How could you have saved Sam when you didn't know he was in danger?"

I hate Angels so much at times and shoot Cas that look to tell him to step off the personal space again. "I told you not the read my thoughts, Cas."

"Your thoughts are too loud to ignore at times like this, Dean," I'm sure Cas just mouthed off to me but I'm too tired to be sure and ignore it. "I should have told you what I suspected but…"

"Yeah, you sure as hell should have," I snapped, exhaustion making me snappier than normal. "Did you know from the start or did you know when they grabbed him?"

Cas was silent as Sam twisted on the bed again, a sure sign that he'd wake up agitated. "I…suspected for quite sometime that something was off with Sam," he admitted awkwardly then waited to see if I'd snap at him.

Normally I would but right then I was too tired and promised I'd do it later but moved Sam's shirt aside to show him the hand print. "Who did this?"

I watched his face for signs and was surprised at his shock after he lightly touched the mark. "Gabriel pulled Sam from the Cage, Dean," he looked at me with something close to wonder. "He saved Sam."

Gabriel, the Trickster playing Archangel who decided I should die over a hundred timed to teach Sammy a lesson and who stuck us in a TV one time. Of course, the guy had turned a new leaf at the end. He'd been the one to tell us about the Horsemen's rings.

"Didn't Lucifer gank him?" I had to ask and was too weary to care about my words.

"Clearly my Father brought him back as he has me though I have not seen Gabriel," Cas wasn't sure what to make of this and I was leery with having the joke playing Archangel around as a general rule.

"You should rest and eat, Dean." again Cas sounded like Cas but I waved it off even as my eyes fought to close on their own.

Giving Cas another wave to leave us alone, I let my head rest on the side of the bed next to Sam's hand while I held those loose fingers in mine.

It had taken days for his fever to break and we were hoping he'd wake up but every day of unfocused looks made me doubt that and I silently feared the shapeshifters had done more to Sammy's mind by how they kept him than anything else.

"Stupid, hardheaded idjits are just bucking to give me a goddamn stroke one of these days," Bobby's voice, low and rough, woke me…hell I have no clue since I hadn't planned to sleep. "Between you and your brother it's a damn wonder I have any hair left, boy!"

For a bleary moment I'm wondering how Bobby's yelling at me if I'm asleep when I hear the most wonderful sound in my ears.

"Guess that…explains why you wear hats all the time, huh Bobby?"

A brief burst of laughter escapes me as I force my eyes open to see Bobby glaring at me but then my attention is drawn to…Sammy.

He was leaning against the headboard, still pale but looking a hellava lot better than he had when I closed my eyes. His eyes were clear but still tired as they locked on mine and slowly he smiled, not the full blown dimples showing smile but still a more open smile than I had been seeing recently.

"Sammy," I sat up with a groan and tried not to show the pain in my back or shoulders but knew he's seen it anyway by the way his forehead wrinkled. "Hey, how long have you been awake and why didn't anyone wake my ass up when you did?"

Bobby slapped a cup of coffee next to me before stomping out muttering about stupid idjits driving him to drink.

"I think Bobby would have killed anyone who tried to wake you," Sam chuckled, still weak if the way he was concentrating on just holding the glass of orange juice was an indication. "I told 'em to let you sleep because you look like hell, bro."

I smirked and was torn between crying and smacking him for that when I noticed he hadn't used my name yet. "I still look better than you, Sammy," I tossed back and then waited.

Sam appeared to be considering something as he finally set the glass aside, moving carefully to avoid the searing pain of his back but he finally pushed up to a sitting position to meet my eyes, recognizing the concern.

"Dean…" that soft voice draws off and he tries to look away but I'm up by then, sitting next to him on the bed and I wondered how many questions he'd been asking and what had Bobby or Castiel told my little brother.

"You're gonna by fine now, Sammy," I assure him, reaching out slowly as to not startle him to lightly run my fingers through his newly freshly cut but still Sammy long hair that flopped into his eyes. "Bobby do this?" I couldn't see Bobby cutting hair but then he had lilac bodywash so all things are possible.

I was a little surprised when Sam didn't pull away from my touch like I thought he would but rather leaned into the touch like he had as a kid or when he was sick and looking for comfort.

"Nah, Cas did this," he yawned, still tired but willing to stay awake to watch me and I could tell he was waiting for something.

Struggling not to say something stupid or wrong like I'd been prone to before the end, I waited a couple beats to let my hand slide around to the back of his neck in order to pull his head closer to mine. "I'm proud of you, Sammy."

I felt him start and lifted my eyes to meet his and saw the wetness brimming and for the first time I wasn't going to discourage the chick-flick moment I knew was coming.

Knowing he knew how I hated those moments I blew out a fake breath then gripped his neck in a firmer grasp. "Alright, one time only or at least one time a month, free reign for the chick-flickiest moment you can muster, Sammy."

I heard his laugh mixed with tears this time as he gripped my hand tight when I straightened up but instead of moving away I simply eased up to lean against the headboard next to him.

"I thought he was going to kill you, Dean," and I knew his memories were in Stull the day it all happened.

"But you fought back and not only didn't Lucifer kill me but you succeeded in locking him and Michael up," I wanted that point made clear as I looked at him to see he was playing with the blanket nervously. "I wanted you out of that hole, Sam."

That caused those eyes that I'd been missing to look up, sharp and intense. "You promised, Dean. You promised to leave it alone and go to Lisa."

"Yeah, and I did but it still didn't keep me from wanting my little brother," I could tell by the way he was shifting that either Bobby or Cas had been blabbing. "Sammy, spill before you bust a gut. What's eatin' at you?"

"Did you think I'd let you be attacked by a vampire and stand my and do nothing? Or just leave you at Lisa's while I hunted alone? Hell, why would you even let me hunt alone since you'd go manic protect Sam again or something or…"

The rush of words broke off when I slowly eased an arm around his shaking shoulders to pull him closer. "First, Bobby or that Angel need slapped for dumping all this on you so soon," I vowed to find out which one had done that but now it was time to settle Sam down. "Second, I knew that _you _wouldn't let that happen and that's what broke the camel's back so to speak.

"Sammy, I knew from the first second I saw that bastard that it wasn't you because my Sammy, don't roll your eyes when I'm bearing my soul here, would've been a bawling basket case when I reached out. Just like you're going to become in a minute," I chose to add with a smirk.

I knew he was close to breaking and I sighed. "I chose to leave Lisa because even though I knew that thing I left with was not my brother. I also knew that if you were out there anywhere then I wouldn't have time to keep pretending to be a soccer Dad or something," this time I heard his small laugh as he pictured me driving a van full of soccer kids to and from games.

Leaning closer, I whispered in a not so secret way that used to make him smile. "It was horrible, Sammy. All that soccer, barbecues and garden gnomes. When Lisa was at work one day, I swore that damn little gnome winked at me so I…salted and burned the little critter in the barbecue."

A soft snicker at first then with a quick look at me and after I shot him my fabled 'really, Sam, would I lie to you' eyebrow lift, he was soon laughing and I finally got the full blown Sammy smile.

'That's my boy' I thought to myself and I went on to describe the horrors of suburban living until finally I felt most of the tension ease out of my brother and waited to see if he'd react normally.

After a couple minutes, I felt Sam ease over so his head was on my shoulder but his fingers reached for the amulet again and I let him because I knew he needed the contact.

I let me fingers mess his bangs up casually and grinned at the low growl I got in response. "If I would have known about this, Sammy, you know I would have tore Lawrence up looking for you."

"You had no way of knowing, Dean," he yawned and looked up again to show that he understood that but I still caught the unspoken, as if wanted to say something but was worried how I'd react and again I cursed the way I had treated him before.

Lighting pushing his head down while pulling the blanket up, I moved carefully so he wasn't so slouched but didn't move my arm away as I waited for him to fall back into a sleep. "I missed you too, Sammy," I whispered, leaning my head back with a sigh before looking down at my brother.

I'd talk to Bobby soon about what Sam might have said after waking and then taken it one step at a time since I know it'll take Sammy a while to get over his ordeal at the hand of the shapeshifters and for me to reassure him that we're good.

"Dean?"

Blinking, I looked down to see Sam watching me curiously and I swore to stop zoning out before someone with a strong hand smacked me in the hand. "Yeah?"

I followed his gaze to see it was on my jean jacket before it lifted to my eyes again. "You still have Dad's leather jacket, right?"

The question threw me for a second until I realized that between me and Sam there had always been three constants for us. The Impala, the amulet he'd given me, and finally Dad's leather jacket that I've always worn but had packed away since the day in Stull.

Smiling, I nodded. "Yeah, it's in the Impala with the chest of pictures and your duffle." I assured him seeing his surprise that I'd kept his duffle. "I'll have Bobby bring it in later."

He seemed satisfied with this but just when I thought he was back to sleep those eyes popped open again. "Dean, did that thing really have me driving in a…" he seemed to hesitate to choose the right words and I laughed.

"I was never so happy to have Cas crash out a window if it meant destroying that piece of crap," I told him, shoving his head down again and decided to fall back on the same tactic I used when we were small. "Sammy, go to sleep, quit talking, or no popsicles tomorrow."

I saw his sleepy grin before he finally slipped under and as I allowed myself the moment of just rubbing light circles on his back as I had to help him sleep as a kid, I decided to ignore any smart comments from Bobby about me having a chick moment. Because as far as I'm concerned I had my brother back and that's all that I gave a damn about. I had my Sammy back and damn anyone who even thought of breaking us up again.

**Bobby's POV:**

After it'd been quiet upstairs for awhile I went up to check on 'em and wasn't surprised to find Dean leaning against the headboard with his arm protectively around his brother. I'd made notice to tell Rufus not to come upstairs until Dean was more leveled in his over protective state since I knew damn good and well that he could reach that .45 in an instant if he thought Sam was in danger.

Checking the windows and salt lines on them, basic hunter responses, I laid a heavier blanket on the bed that would cover both the idjits since I didn't plan on dealing with colds on top of Sam being hurt and Dean being manic protective for the next few months.

Going out the door, I looked back and grinned. Those boys may have been John's by blood but hell I'd shed enough tears over the years with 'em to consider 'em mine anyway and I'm hoping this will help heal any leftover rifts.

Heading downstairs I see Castiel standing by the door as if waiting for something so I decided to give him something to do.

"Castiel, before Dean starts gripin' how about cleaning the inside of the Impala so he won't bitch about having that shapeshifter inside it?"

The Angel seems to consider it and nods but not before handing me a slip of paper in Missouri's handwritin' "She said to tell Dean to be careful about trusting the Campbells'"

Hell, I could have said that Dean will never trust his Mom's family when something tickled those old hunter senses and I shout at him before he vanishes. "Why'd she say that and for that matter, how'd she know Dean was in Lawrence to start with?"

I watch Cas think on this for a second before shrugging, yep Dean was a bad influence on that guy. "Their mother told her." and with that he was gone and I was left with a cold feeling that that warning just couldn't be good but shoved it away for a later time when both my idjits were on their feet again.

**Sam's POV:**

I know that Dean will deny this as soon as he wakes up fully and I'm feeling better but for now though I'll take this.

My brother finally fell asleep after he thought I did but I wasn't tired and was still adjusting to knowing that I was free and that Dean was here.

I had tried to protect him by giving him the normal life I thought he wanted but if pushed I'll admit that if the thing with the 'shifter hadn't happened I would have gone to Dean within two more weeks.

I wanted my brother and the warning feeling that Samuel was putting off the last night I can recall seeing him made me want Dean more. I'm not sure what it is or what brought out Grandfather back but once I'm back at full strength and I can convince Dean to let me out of his site for more than ten seconds, yeah I can tell that's what's gonna happen, we're going to have to figure out that mystery.

Now though, I just want to forget the past. Forget the day in that cemetery where I barely stopped Lucifer from beating Dean to death, forget coming back and fighting the basic urge to run to Dean and forget the past months of nothing but pain and fear and knowing that Dean didn't even know I was in trouble.

I close my eyes just as Bobby shouts from outside that he didn't mean to flood the inside of the Impala to clean it and that the dang feather-brained moron had better have it dried before Dean wakes up. Angel translation: don't tell Cas to clean the car and I can see Dean's reaction when he finds out.

"I'll hurt him later for it," I hear Dean mutter and I grin. So he wasn't as asleep as I thought he was when I smell the familiar smell of leather, gun oil and Dean as the leather jacket is laid over me.

"Go to sleep, Sammy," he urges with a yawn. "Or I won't have an excuse not to go down and see what the hell Cas is doing to our home."

Home. There was a word I hadn't thought of in awhile. The Impala was home. It had been since I was six months old and so long as it was Dean and I, it would always be home. Some things, no matter what else, can't change and that's when I finally relax and fall asleep. Finally at peace.

The End

_A/N: This turned out way longer than I originally planned for and I hope I didn't ramble too much since this is the first thing I've ever written in first person and also the longest in first person. Thanks to everyone who read this and sorry if I messed up the boy's eye colors. I've read so many stories, not to mention the books, that I've lost track on the color of their eyes. I'd love for someone to clear that up for me. Reviews always welcome._


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